Yu Chung-lin’s paintings were renowned for his exceptional skills of incorporating both gongbi and expressive strokes. The structure and composition of his paintings were carefully constructed to reflect a realistic depiction in a harmonious colour palette. This work features an eagle overlooking the terrain on a pine tree, depicted through in black and variations of tones.
A pine branch extended from the left to the right, completed with expressive strokes, highlighting the majestic tree. The outline was sketched while dry brush was swiftly applied, forming a crooked aged branch. Dense ink was applied through various strokes to create the texture of the old bark. Pine needles were depicted in a scattered way in various strokes to create volume of the dense vegetation. Central brush was used to create layers of feathers of the bird. Fine brush was used on the feathers of the neck and the head, while dry brush strokes were applied on the beak and the scaled claws. The eyes were painted with a touch of Bada Shanren’s animals with rolling eyes, highlighting the perched eagle observing the terrain with pride. This is a rare painting of an eagle completed with expressive strokes in a single colour theme, showing Yu as one of the greatest artists in the flower-and-bird genre.